It seems like the MeToo wave is hitting the Telugu film industry. In a shocking turn of events, choreographer Jani Master has been accused of sexually assaulting his 21-year-old colleague. It is reported that an FIR has been registered against the choreographer, who is formally known as Shaik Jani Basha. Police said a 21-year-old woman, who is also a choreographer, has accused him of the sex crime.
According to The Hindu, the woman filed her complaint in Raidurgam police in Hyderabad and accused him of assaulting her during outdoor shoots. She had been working with Jani for the past few months. He has been booked under clause (2) and (n) of section 376 (rape), criminal intimidation (506) and voluntarily causing hurt (323) of the IPC.
“The complainant said that Jani had sexually assaulted her multiple times during their shoots in different cities, including Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad. She also claimed that he assaulted her at her residence in Narsingi several times… since the woman is a resident of Narsingi, the case has been transferred to the police there and further investigation will be taken up,” a senior police official said.
The report also added that Shikha Goel, DG of Women Safety Wing (WSW) Telangana, was approached by the people in the film fraternity to get her guidance on the matter. “I advised them to launch an internal inquiry under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act and since the allegations also attract criminal charges, they were also told to register a case with the law and order police… the case shall be investigated further as per protocol,” she said.
This is not the first time that the choreographer has landed in legal trouble. Earlier this year, a dancer named Satish filed a case against him, accusing him of harassment.
Jani Master has worked with several prominent actors in India. These include Allu Arjun, Salman Khan, and Jr NTR. He has choreographed several songs, including Aayi Nai from Stree 2 and Arabic Kuthu in Beast. He is yet to react to the claims.
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